Don't worry - most people in the USA have trouble understanding that such evil events happen here, too.
You've either been on the pointy end of the "justice" system, or you haven't. Paying "court fees" to directly fund the salaries of the people persecuting you is the icing on the cake.
And like, what happened to OP was pretty tame, all things considered. Nobody died. There wasn't months or years spent in prison. I don't think their life was drastically altered by it (but their personal world view certainly was). Nobody is going to the media with such a story, because it's not glaringly outrageous. Ask an attorney if OP would have a case against the police/state to rectify the injustice, and they'll just laugh. They're part of that system and above you, which is why even if you're paying them, they don't answer the phone after 5.
IMO the first step to reform happening is the system admitting it is fallible. Plea bargains should be drastically reformed - either make the case or STFU. When a victim is found innocent or charges are dropped, they should be mechanically compensated for all of their expenses and damages - legal fees, time lost in jail/court, emotional distress from the kidnapping. That money should come out of the coffers of the city paying the gang of violent thugs that abused OP, and ultimately the taxpayers funding them. If the cost of law enforcement ends up doubling, then the true cost of enforcing the laws was twice what was being paid - right now these damages are funded as a perverse reverse lottery where the unlucky just get stuck with them. This certainly won't fix everything, but correctly defining responsibility is the first step.
Alas, the disempowering mass media narrative we get is that the cops just need "more training" so perhaps they won't commit wanton second degree murder as much. Funny how the average citizen doesn't get a similar allowance.
You've either been on the pointy end of the "justice" system, or you haven't. Paying "court fees" to directly fund the salaries of the people persecuting you is the icing on the cake.
And like, what happened to OP was pretty tame, all things considered. Nobody died. There wasn't months or years spent in prison. I don't think their life was drastically altered by it (but their personal world view certainly was). Nobody is going to the media with such a story, because it's not glaringly outrageous. Ask an attorney if OP would have a case against the police/state to rectify the injustice, and they'll just laugh. They're part of that system and above you, which is why even if you're paying them, they don't answer the phone after 5.
IMO the first step to reform happening is the system admitting it is fallible. Plea bargains should be drastically reformed - either make the case or STFU. When a victim is found innocent or charges are dropped, they should be mechanically compensated for all of their expenses and damages - legal fees, time lost in jail/court, emotional distress from the kidnapping. That money should come out of the coffers of the city paying the gang of violent thugs that abused OP, and ultimately the taxpayers funding them. If the cost of law enforcement ends up doubling, then the true cost of enforcing the laws was twice what was being paid - right now these damages are funded as a perverse reverse lottery where the unlucky just get stuck with them. This certainly won't fix everything, but correctly defining responsibility is the first step.
Alas, the disempowering mass media narrative we get is that the cops just need "more training" so perhaps they won't commit wanton second degree murder as much. Funny how the average citizen doesn't get a similar allowance.